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Skimmer for 15 x 30 Pool Deluxe Wide Mouth Vs. Regular

Hi, we're putting up an older 15 x 30 pool. It had a Muskin skimmer model A4372. Since these are no longer available, my husband plans to use a piece of aluminum to resize the hole in the pool wall. I was wondering if we should order a regular or wide mouth skimmer. Regular skimmers are less expensive. Are there any benefits to having a wide mouth? I saw one on ebay for $60 that has storage in the top for the pool testing kit. http://www.ebay.com/itm/DELUXE-Widemout ... 5ae4fe7e9c

It also says that the vacuum plate stores on top of the skimmer. Sounds like that may be handy although I don't even know what the vacuum plate is for. A regular skimmer is available for $25. Does it matter what brand? Thank you.

Re: Skimmer for 15 x 30 Pool Deluxe Wide Mouth Vs. Regular

The storage is just a gimic. You don't want to store the testing materials outdoors. They should be kept in a cool, dry location. A widemouth skimmer will have a little better skimming action, but I doubt you would notice a lot of difference. I would measure the opening of the current skimmer and try to find one a little bit larger if possible. It is possible to patch the old skimmer location but it may not look too good, if that matters to you.

Some folks use a vacuum plate when they vacuum the pool. It allows them to keep the skimmer basket in place to catch large debris. The hose attaches to the vacuum plate and fits over the skimmer basket.

Also, looking at the skimmer in your link, you would have a difficult time finding replacement parts locally for this skimmer. It is a non-standard shape and size, so you would have difficulty finding a vacuum plate or skimmer basket off the shelf that would work with this particular skimmer.

Re: Skimmer for 15 x 30 Pool Deluxe Wide Mouth Vs. Regular

Zea3, thank you so much for your helpful response and for looking at my link. I will choose a different skimmer. My wall is still rolled up so I can't measure the hole. Based on the size of the old skimmer I believe the hole is about 7 3/4" wide x 5 1/8" tall. I'm thinking of ordering a Hayward wide mouth skimmer since it is a well-known brand and costs only about $40. Thanks again and have a great day.